Method and apparatus to manage lead-related conditions for fault tolerance enhancements

ABSTRACT

The disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus providing detection mechanism for lead-related conditions, including transient behaviors, on a conductive pathway of a medical electrical lead. In one example, a sense path arbitration module identifies a lead-related condition associated with a conductive pathway based on signal processing to identify transients emerging from a propagated signal. The sense path arbitration module may evaluate a plurality of conductive pathways of the medical electrical lead and arbitrates propagation of a sensed signal that is transmitted through the plurality of lead conductors based on the evaluation. Therapy delivery functions utilizing the medical electrical lead may also be controlled in response to the signal processing and identification of the lead-related condition on a conductive pathway.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/654,860 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,232,898), filed Oct. 18, 2012 entitled“METHOD AND APPARATUS TO MANAGE LEAD-RELATED CONDITIONS FOR FAULTTOLERANCE ENHANCEMENTS” which claims priority from U.S. PatentApplication No. 61/552,017, filed Oct. 27, 2011, the contents of whichare incorporated herein in their entirety for all purposes.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to implantable medical devices.More particularly, the disclosure pertains to a method and apparatus fordetecting and managing static and transient behaviors, includingcontinuous and real-time monitoring, associated with an implantablemedical electrical lead to promote signal stability.

BACKGROUND

In the field of implantable medical devices, implantablecardioverter/defibrillators (ICD), implantable pulse generators (IPG)and pacemaker/cardioverter/defibrillators (PCD) provide sensing ofarrhythmias and programmable staged therapies including pacing regimensand cardioversion energy and defibrillation energy shock regimens inorder to terminate a sensed arrhythmia with the most energy efficientand minimally traumatic therapies. In such implantable medical devices,the atrial and ventricular pacing pulse generators, sense amplifiers andassociated timing operations are incorporated into a system havingatrial and ventricular pace/sense medical electrical leads.

A wide variety of such pace/sense and defibrillation leads have beenproposed for positioning endocardially within a heart chamber orassociated blood vessel or epicardially about the heart chambers or moreremotely in subcutaneous locations. Typically, the leads bearpace/sense/defibrillation electrodes with associated lead conductors andconnector elements all of which are either incorporated into a singlepacing lead body or into a combined pacing and defibrillation lead body.

In such implantable medical device systems, the integrity of the medicalelectrical leads is of great importance. Generally, the leads areconstructed of small diameter, highly flexible, lead bodies made towithstand the environmental effects of body fluids. In addition, theleads must be able to function in the presence of dynamic bodyenvironments that apply chemical and physical stress and strain to thelead body and the connections made to electrodes or sensor terminals.Some of these stresses may occur during the implantation process. Monthsor years later, porosity that developed from those stresses may bemagnified by exposure to body fluids. These, in turn, may result inconductor or insulation related conditions that may be manifested in anintermittent or sudden Loss of Capture (LOC), out-of-range impedanceand/or Loss of Sensing (LOS).

Lead insulation breaches, interior lead conductor wire fracture orfractures with other lead parts have been known to occur. In the U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/156,660 assigned to the present assignee,the various issues affecting the lead conductive pathway, which iscomprised of one or both the conductor and insulation, and resulting inpartial or complete short or open circuits, for example, have beenreferred to, for simplicity, as “lead-related conditions.” The Ser. No.13/156,660 application explains that the lead-related conditions maymanifest as static and/or intermittent/dynamic conductivediscontinuities; a static conductive discontinuity may represent aconductive fracture resulting in conductor elements, such as filars orstrands, being disconnected for an indefinite duration or until anintervention is performed while dynamic conductive discontinuity mayrepresent a conductive fracture that results in transient orintermittent disconnections of the conductor elements for shortdurations in time. These lead-related conditions may lead toinappropriate implantable medical device responses if not mitigated orinhibited. For example, a transient that crosses the implantable medicaldevice sense circuit thresholds may be misinterpreted as a physiologicalevent. The perceived “physiological” event may lead to inappropriateimplantable medical device algorithmic conclusions that may lead toundesired device operation.

Conventional approaches for detecting lead-related conditions have beenlimited to electrical behaviors leading to adverse system events. Forexample, filters have been employed in the sense circuits to eliminatehigh frequency signal components prior to threshold recognitions in thesense circuits. These filters may be designed to pass some frequencyranges and attenuate other frequency ranges and are effective for thefrequency ranges they are designed to attenuate or pass, but are notconsistently effective with signals or distortions that vary from thosespecified ranges. Several solutions have employed periodic testing thatincludes measurements of parameters such as lead impedance to determinewhen the integrity of the medical electrical lead is compromised. Otherapproaches to address lead body defects have been to construct the leadwith re-engineered materials that are more robust.

However, there have been inherent limitations including expected andvarying implant environmental conditions that eventually result in theemergence of lead-related conditions on the lead body. Another challengeassociated with existing solutions is that the periodic measurements maynot always correlate with the intermittent nature of the conductormake-break contact. Additionally, the periodic measurements andmeasurements triggered by apparent physiological signal aberrations maynot identify lead-related conditions expeditiously for effectivecontainment and to prevent error propagation.

As such, even with the robust lead body construction, there remains aneed to provide for fault tolerant architectures includingreconfiguration of lead functionality for continued system functionalityand graceful degradation to promote safety.

SUMMARY

In general, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure providefault-tolerant architectures for medical electrical leads. The leads mayutilize leading indicators and system critical indicators of alead-related condition to perform reconfiguration of lead functionalitybased on changes in the lead electrical properties. In some embodiments,a lead monitoring system that may operate in a continuous, real-timemanner may be utilized. The embodiments disclose methods and modulesutilizing fault-tolerant architectures electrical transient recognition,containment and reconfiguration of a conductive pathway of the lead. Themodules may be incorporated in the medical electrical lead, or a medicaldevice coupled to the lead, or a combination of both the lead and themedical device.

In accordance with the foregoing, fault tolerant systems, devices andmethods comprising an implantable medical device and a medicalelectrical lead may be provided. In one embodiment, a module may beprovided having functionality to perform transient processing on aplurality of conductive pathways in a lead. The transient processingfunctionality may include transient recognition for detecting transientbehaviors. The transient behaviors may include electricalcharacteristics that deviate from predetermined characteristics and aretherefore capable of generating successive errors leading to an adversesystem event.

In an embodiment, the module may also include containment circuitry forisolation of a conductive pathway on which the electrical transients orelectrical patterns indicating non-physiological behaviors are detected.The containment may include decoupling the conductive pathway to preventpropagation of the signal to the implantable medical device sensecircuitry. In response to detecting transient behavior on a givenconductive pathway, the module may arbitrate the selection andpropagation of electrical signals for therapy delivery or sensingfunctions by selecting another conductive pathway that does not exhibitthe transient behavior. Arbitration in this context is deciding tochoose one electrical conductive pathway rather than an alternativeelectrical conductive pathway based on a defined set of criteria.

In an embodiment, the lead includes a sense path arbitration module. Thesense path arbitration module dynamically reconfigures the coupling ofthe plurality of the conductive pathways in response to detection of atransient on the pathways. In another embodiment, the sense patharbitration module dynamically reconfigures the coupling of theplurality of the conductive pathways in response to a comparativeanalysis of signals on the pathways.

In other embodiments, a threshold deviation module is provided forestablishing one or more voltage reference levels for transientrecognition. The one or more voltage reference levels may include arange having upper and lower threshold limits to facilitate distinctionbetween various categories of lead-related conditions.

In another embodiment, a method is provided for detecting deviationcharacteristics in the conductive pathway behavior of a plurality of animplantable electrical lead's conductive pathways, arbitrating signalpropagation through one of the conductive pathways and inhibiting thepropagation of signals on a conductive pathway exhibiting the deviatedbehavior. The method may further include reconfiguration of theconductive pathway functionally to sustain medical functions includingtherapy delivery and sensing or to manage graceful degradation of thesystem. An additional aspect may include isolation of the conductivepathway exhibiting the deviated behavior.

The foregoing summary information is intended to merely illustrate someof the aspects and features of the present disclosure and is not meantto limit the scope in any way. In fact, upon review of the foregoing andthe following described and depicted embodiments, one of skill in theart will surely recognize insubstantial modifications or extensions ofthe disclosure each of which is expressly intended to be covered hereby.The disclosure is also not limited to the specific-describedembodiments; rather, the constituent elements in each embodiment may becombined as appropriate and the combination thereof may effectivelyserve as an embodiment of the present disclosure. Such embodiments alongwith modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings are illustrative of particular embodiments of thepresent disclosure and therefore do not limit the scope of thedisclosure. The drawings (not to scale) are intended for use inconjunction with the explanations in the following detailed description,wherein similar elements are designated by identical reference numerals.Moreover, the specific location of the various features is merelyexemplary unless noted otherwise.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example therapy systemthat may be used to provide therapy to a heart of a patient.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an implantable medicaldevice and leads of therapy system in greater detail.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another exemplary therapysystem.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of one example configuration of animplantable medical device.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram illustrating the interrelation ofan exemplary signal stability module in conjunction with a lead inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 depicts a functional block diagram illustrating several exemplarycomponents of an embodiment of the signal stability module.

FIG. 7 depicts a functional block diagram illustrating severalcomponents of another embodiment of the signal stability module.

FIG. 8 depicts an illustrative circuit diagram of a signal stabilitymodule operable to detect state transitions.

FIG. 9 depicts an alternative embodiment of a signal stability module inaccordance with principles of this disclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates a flow diagram of an illustrative method fordetecting a lead-related condition.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating another exemplary embodiment of amethod for detecting a lead-related condition of a medical electricallead.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and isnot intended to limit the disclosure or the application and uses of thedisclosure. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by anyexpressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field,background, brief summary or the following detailed description.

For convenience, unless otherwise indicated the term “IMD” is inclusiveof any implantable medical device capable of administering any of anumber of therapies to the heart or other organs or other tissue of thepatient. Illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure have beenpresented in the context of a cardiac pacemaker, it being understoodthat the disclosure certainly has applicability to many other types ofIMDs. For convenience, a “medical electrical lead” as used hereindefines a pace/sense/defibrillation electrode (including the case wherethe lead is only used for pacing, sensing, or defibrillation), aproximal end lead connector element for attachment to a terminal of anIMD, and a lead conductor within a lead body electrically connecting thepace/sense/defibrillation electrode and the lead connector element. Thedefinition encompasses any combination of two or more pacing leads ordefibrillation leads incorporated into the same lead body and anycombinations of pacing lead(s) and defibrillation lead(s) in the samelead body.

As a brief overview, the disclosure pertains to a medical system havinga medical electrical lead coupled to a medical device. The medicalsystem includes a fault tolerant architecture for detecting alead-related condition and dynamic reconfiguration for continuedfunctionality in the presence of the lead-related condition.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example therapy system 10that may be used to provide therapy to heart 12 of patient 14. Patient14 ordinarily, but not necessarily, will be a human. Therapy system 10includes IMD 16, which is coupled to leads 18, 20, and 22, andprogrammer 24. IMD 16 may be, for example, an implantable pacemaker,cardioverter, and/or defibrillator that provides electrical signals toheart 12 via electrodes coupled to one or more of leads 18, 20, and 22.Each of leads 18, 20 and 22 may carry one or a set of electrodes. Theelectrode may extend about the circumference of each of leads 18, 20,and 22 and is positioned at a respective axial position along the lengthof each of the lead 18, 20, and 22.

Leads 18, 20, 22 extend into the heart 12 of patient 14 to senseelectrical activity of heart 12 and/or deliver a therapy that may be inthe form electrical stimulation to heart 12. Collectively, the sensingor therapy delivery will be referred to herein as a medical function. Inthe example shown in FIG. 1, right ventricular lead 18 extends throughone or more veins (not shown), the superior vena cava (not shown), andright atrium 26, and into right ventricle 28. Left ventricular coronarysinus lead 20 extends through one or more veins, the vena cava, rightatrium 26, and into the coronary sinus 30 to a region adjacent to thefree wall of left ventricle 32 of heart 12. In alternative embodiments,the LV lead 20 may also be introduced into the left ventricle throughthe septal wall. Right atrial lead 22 extends through one or more veinsand the vena cava, and into the right atrium 26 of heart 12.

IMD 16 may sense electrical signals attendant to the depolarization andrepolarization of heart 12 via electrodes (not shown in FIG. 1) coupledto at least one of the leads 18, 20, 22. In some examples, IMD 16provides pacing pulses to heart 12 based on the electrical signalssensed within heart 12. The configurations of electrodes used by IMD 16for sensing and pacing may be unipolar or bipolar. IMD 16 may alsoprovide defibrillation therapy and/or cardioversion therapy viaelectrodes located on at least one of the leads 18, 20, 22. IMD 16 maydetect arrhythmia of heart 12, such as fibrillation of ventricles 28 and32, and deliver defibrillation therapy to heart 12 in the form ofelectrical pulses. In some examples, IMD 16 may be programmed to delivera progression of therapies, e.g., pulses with increasing energy levels,until a fibrillation of heart 12 is stopped. IMD 16 detects fibrillationemploying one or more fibrillation detection techniques known in theart.

In some examples, programmer 24 may be a handheld computing device or acomputer workstation. Programmer 24 may include a user interface thatreceives input from a user. The user interface may include, for example,a keypad and a display, which may for example, be a cathode ray tube(CRT) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or light emitting diode(LED) display. The keypad may take the form of an alphanumeric keypad ora reduced set of keys associated with particular functions. Programmer24 can additionally or alternatively include a peripheral pointingdevice, such as a mouse, via which a user may interact with the userinterface. In some embodiments, a display of programmer 24 may include atouch screen display, and a user may interact with programmer 24 via thedisplay.

A user, such as a physician, technician, or other clinician, mayinteract with programmer 24 to communicate with IMD 16. For example, theuser may interact with programmer 24 to retrieve physiological ordiagnostic information from IMD 16. A user may also interact withprogrammer 24 to program IMD 16, e.g., select values for operationalparameters of the IMD.

For example, the user may use programmer 24 to retrieve information fromIMD 16 regarding the rhythm of heart 12, trends therein over time, ortachyarrhythmia episodes. As another example, the user may useprogrammer 24 to retrieve information from IMD 16 regarding other sensedphysiological parameters of patient 14, such as intracardiac orintravascular pressure, activity, posture, respiration, or thoracicimpedance. As another example, the user may use programmer 24 toretrieve information from IMD 16 regarding the performance or integrityof IMD 16 or other components of system 10, such as leads 18, 20, and22, or a power source of IMD 16.

The user may use programmer 24 to program a therapy progression, selectelectrodes used to deliver defibrillation shocks, select waveforms forthe defibrillation shock, or select or configure a fibrillationdetection algorithm for IMD 16. The user may also use programmer 24 toprogram aspects of other therapies provided by IMD 16, such ascardioversion or pacing therapies. In some examples, the user mayactivate certain features of IMD 16 by entering a single command viaprogrammer 24, such as depression of a single key or combination of keysof a keypad or a single point-and-select action with a pointing device.

IMD 16 and programmer 24 may communicate via wireless communicationusing any techniques known in the art. Examples of communicationtechniques may include, for example, low frequency or radiofrequency(RF) telemetry, but other techniques are also contemplated. In someexamples, programmer 24 may include a programming head that may beplaced proximate to the patient's body near the IMD 16 implant site inorder to improve the quality or security of communication between IMD 16and programmer 24.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating IMD 16 and leads 18, 20, 22of therapy system 10 in greater detail. Leads 18, 20, 22 may beelectrically coupled to a stimulation generator, a sensing module, orother modules of IMD 16 via connector block 34. In some examples,proximal ends of leads 18, 20, 22 may include electrical contacts thatelectrically couple to respective electrical contacts within connectorblock 34. In addition, in some examples, leads 18, 20, 22 may bemechanically coupled to connector block 34 with the aid of set screws,connection pins or another suitable mechanical coupling mechanism.

Each of the leads 18, 20, 22 includes an elongated insulative lead body,which may carry a number of concentric coiled conductors separated fromone another by tubular insulative sheaths. In the illustrated example, apressure sensor 38 and bipolar electrodes 40 and 42 are locatedproximate to a distal end of lead 18. In addition, bipolar electrodes 44and 46 are located proximate to a distal end of lead 20 and bipolarelectrodes 48 and 50 are located proximate to a distal end of lead 22.In FIG. 2, pressure sensor 38 is disposed in right ventricle 28.Pressure sensor 30 may respond to an absolute pressure inside rightventricle 28, and may be, for example, a capacitive or piezoelectricabsolute pressure sensor. In other examples, pressure sensor 30 may bepositioned within other regions of heart 12 and may monitor pressurewithin one or more of the other regions of heart 12, or may bepositioned elsewhere within or proximate to the cardiovascular system ofpatient 14 to monitor cardiovascular pressure associated with mechanicalcontraction of the heart.

Among the electrodes, some of the electrodes may be provided in the formof coiled electrodes that form a helix, while other electrodes may beprovided in different forms. Further, some of the electrodes may beprovided in the form of tubular electrode sub-assemblies that can bepre-fabricated and positioned over the body of leads 18, 20, 22, wherethey are attached and where electrical connections with conductiveelements within the leads 18, 20, 22 can be made. For example,electrodes 40, 44 and 48 may take the form of ring electrodes, andelectrodes 42, 46 and 50 may take the form of extendable helix tipelectrodes mounted retractably within insulative electrode heads 52, 54and 56, respectively. Each of the electrodes 40, 42, 44, 46, 48 and 50may be electrically coupled to a respective one of the coiled conductorswithin the lead body of its associated lead 18, 20, 22, and therebycoupled to respective ones of the electrical contacts on the proximalend of leads 18, 20 and 22.

Electrodes 40, 42, 44, 46, 48 and 50 may sense electrical signalsattendant to the depolarization and repolarization of heart 12. Theelectrical signals are conducted to IMD 16 via the respective leads 18,20, 22. In some examples, IMD 16 also delivers pacing pulses viaelectrodes 40, 42, 44, 46, 48 and 50 to cause depolarization of cardiactissue of heart 12. In some examples, as illustrated in FIG. 2, IMD 16includes one or more housing electrodes, such as housing electrode 58,which may be formed integrally with an outer surface ofhermetically-sealed housing 60 of IMD 16 or otherwise coupled to housing60. In some examples, housing electrode 58 is defined by an uninsulatedportion of an outward facing portion of housing 60 of IMD 16. Otherdivision between insulated and uninsulated portions of housing 60 may beemployed to define one or more housing electrodes. In some examples,housing electrode 58 comprises substantially all of housing 60. Any ofthe electrodes 40, 42, 44, 46, 48 and 50 may be used for unipolarsensing or pacing in combination with housing electrode 58. As is knownin the art, housing 60 may enclose a stimulation generator thatgenerates cardiac pacing pulses and defibrillation or cardioversionshocks, as well as a sensing module for monitoring the patient's heartrhythm.

Leads 18, 20, 22 also include elongated electrodes 62, 64, 66,respectively, which may take the form of a coil. IMD 16 may deliverdefibrillation shocks to heart 12 via any combination of elongatedelectrodes 62, 64, 66, and housing electrode 58. Electrodes 58, 62, 64,66 may also be used to deliver cardioversion pulses to heart 12.Electrodes 62, 64, 66 may be fabricated from any suitable electricallyconductive material, such as, but not limited to, platinum, platinumalloy or other materials known to be usable in implantabledefibrillation electrodes.

Pressure sensor 38 may be coupled to one or more coiled conductorswithin lead 18. In FIG. 2, pressure sensor 38 is located more distallyon lead 18 than elongated electrode 62. In other examples, pressuresensor 38 may be positioned more proximally than elongated electrode 62,rather than distal to electrode 62. Further, pressure sensor 38 may becoupled to another one of the leads 20, 22 in other examples, or to alead other than leads 18, 20, 22 carrying stimulation and senseelectrodes.

The configuration of therapy system 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 ismerely one example. In other examples, a therapy system may includeepicardial leads and/or patch electrodes instead of or in addition tothe transvenous leads 18, 20, 22 illustrated in FIG. 1. Further, IMD 16need not be implanted within patient 14. In examples in which IMD 16 isnot implanted in patient 14, IMD 16 may deliver defibrillation shocksand other therapies to heart 12 via percutaneous leads that extendthrough the skin of patient 14 to a variety of positions within oroutside of heart 12.

In other examples of therapy systems that provide electrical stimulationtherapy to heart 12, a therapy system may include any suitable number ofleads coupled to IMD 16, and each of the leads may extend to anylocation within or proximate to heart 12. For example, other examples oftherapy systems may include three transvenous leads located asillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and an additional lead located within orproximate to left atrium 33. Other examples of therapy systems mayinclude a single lead that extends from IMD 16 into right atrium 26 orright ventricle 28, or two leads that extend into a respective one ofthe right ventricle 26 and right atrium 28. An example of this type oftherapy system is shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another example of therapysystem 70, which is similar to therapy system 10 of FIGS. 1-2, butincludes two leads 18, 22, rather than three leads. Leads 18, 22 areimplanted within right ventricle 28 and right atrium 26, respectively.Therapy system 70 shown in FIG. 3 may be useful for providingdefibrillation and pacing pulses to heart 12.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of one example configuration of IMD16, which includes processor 80, memory 82, stimulation generator 84,sensing module 86, telemetry module 88, and power source 90. Memory 82includes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by processor80, cause IMD 16 and processor 80 to perform various functionsattributed to IMD 16 and processor 80 herein. Memory 82 may include anyvolatile, non-volatile, magnetic, optical, or electrical media, such asa random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile RAM(NVRAM), electrically-erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory,or any other digital media.

Processor 80 controls stimulation generator 84 to deliver stimulationtherapy to heart 12 according to a selected one or more of therapyprograms, which may be stored in memory 82. Specifically, processor 44may control stimulation generator 84 to deliver electrical pulses withthe amplitudes, pulse widths, frequency, or electrode polaritiesspecified by the selected one or more therapy programs.

Stimulation generator 84 is electrically coupled to electrodes 40, 42,44, 46, 48, 50, 58, 62, 64, and 66, e.g., via conductors of therespective lead 18, 20, 22, or, in the case of housing electrode 58, viaan electrical conductor disposed within housing 60 of IMD 16.Stimulation generator 84 is configured to generate and deliverelectrical stimulation therapy to heart 12. For example, stimulationgenerator 84 may deliver defibrillation shocks to heart 12 via at leasttwo electrodes 58, 62, 64, 66. Stimulation generator 84 may deliverpacing pulses via ring electrodes 40, 44, 48 coupled to leads 18, 20,and 22, respectively, and/or helical electrodes 42, 46, and 50 of leads18, 20, and 22, respectively. In some examples, stimulation generator 84delivers pacing, cardioversion, or defibrillation stimulation in theform of electrical pulses. In other examples, stimulation generator maydeliver one or more of these types of stimulation in the form of othersignals, such as sine waves, square waves, or other substantiallycontinuous time signals.

Stimulation generator 84 may include a switch module and processor 80may use the switch module to select, e.g., via a data/address bus, whichof the available electrodes are used to deliver defibrillation shocks orpacing pulses. The switch module may include a switch array, switchmatrix, multiplexer, or any other type of switching device suitable toselectively couple stimulation energy to selected electrodes.

Sensing module 86 monitors signals from at least one of electrodes 40,42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 58, 62, 64 or 66 in order to monitor electricalactivity of heart 12, e.g., via electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. Sensingmodule 86 may also include a switch module to select which of theavailable electrodes are used to sense the heart activity. In someexamples, processor 80 may select the electrodes that function as senseelectrodes via the switch module within sensing module 86, e.g., byproviding signals via a data/address bus. In some examples, sensingmodule 86 includes one or more sensing channels, each of which maycomprise an amplifier. In response to the signals from processor 80, theswitch module of within sensing module 86 may couple the outputs fromthe selected electrodes to one of the sensing channels.

In some examples, one channel of sensing module 86 may include an R-waveamplifier that receives signals from electrodes 40 and 42, which areused for pacing and sensing in right ventricle 28 of heart 12. Anotherchannel may include another R-wave amplifier that receives signals fromelectrodes 44 and 46, which are used for pacing and sensing proximate toleft ventricle 32 of heart 12. In some examples, the R-wave amplifiersmay take the form of an automatic gain controlled amplifier thatprovides an adjustable sensing threshold as a function of the measuredR-wave amplitude of the heart rhythm.

In addition, in some examples, one channel of sensing module 86 mayinclude a P-wave amplifier that receives signals from electrodes 48 and50, which are used for pacing and sensing in right atrium 26 of heart12. In some examples, the P-wave amplifier may take the form of anautomatic gain controlled amplifier that provides an adjustable sensingthreshold as a function of the measured P-wave amplitude of the heartrhythm. Examples of R-wave and P-wave amplifiers are described in U.S.Pat. No. 5,117,824 to Keimel et al., which issued on Jun. 2, 1992 and isentitled, “Apparatus for Monitoring Electrical Physiologic Signals,” andis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other amplifiersmay also be used. Furthermore, in some examples, one or more of thesensing channels of sensing module 86 may be selectively coupled tohousing electrode 58, or elongated electrodes 62, 64, or 66, with orinstead of one or more of electrodes 40, 42, 44, 46, 48 or 50, e.g., forunipolar sensing of R-waves or P-waves in any of chambers 26, 28, or 32of heart 12.

In some examples, sensing module 86 includes a channel that comprises anamplifier with a relatively wider pass band than the R-wave or P-waveamplifiers. Signals from the selected sensing electrodes that areselected for coupling to this wide-band amplifier may be provided to amultiplexer, and thereafter converted to multi-bit digital signals by ananalog-to-digital converter for storage in memory 82 as an electrogram(EGM). In some examples, the storage of such EGMs in memory 82 may beunder the control of a direct memory access circuit. Processor 80 mayemploy digital signal analysis techniques to characterize the digitizedsignals stored in memory 82 to detect and classify the patient's heartrhythm from the electrical signals. Processor 80 may detect and classifythe heart rhythm of patient 14 by employing any of the numerous signalprocessing methodologies known in the art.

Telemetry module 88 includes any suitable hardware, firmware, softwareor any combination thereof for communicating with another device, suchas programmer 24 (FIG. 1). Under the control of processor 80, telemetrymodule 88 may receive downlink telemetry from and send uplink telemetryto programmer 24 with the aid of an antenna, which may be internaland/or external. Processor 80 may provide the data to be uplinked toprogrammer 24 and the control signals for the telemetry circuit withintelemetry module 88, e.g., via an address/data bus. In some examples,telemetry module 88 may provide received data to processor 80 via amultiplexer.

In some examples, processor 80 may transmit atrial and ventricular heartsignals (e.g., electrocardiogram signals) produced by atrial andventricular sense amp circuits within sensing module 86 to programmer24. Programmer 24 may interrogate IMD 16 to receive the heart signals.Processor 80 may store heart signals within memory 82, and retrievestored heart signals from memory 82.

The various components of IMD 16 are coupled to power source 90, whichmay include a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery. Anon-rechargeable battery may be selected to last for several years,while a rechargeable battery may be inductively charged from an externaldevice, e.g., on a daily or weekly basis.

As depicted in FIGS. 1-4, one or more of leads 18, 20, 22 areelectrically coupled to medical device 16 that is implanted at amedically suitable location in patient 10 during use. The leads 18, 20,22 extend from medical device 16, where the proximal ends are connected,to another suitable location in the patient where the distal endportions are adjacent to the desired organ/tissue of patient 10.

In constructing the bodies of leads 18, 20, 22, various considerationsare typically taken into account to maintain the integrity of theimplanted leads. One such consideration is the continuous flexing of theleads 18, 20, 22 due to the beating of the heart. Other considerationsare the stresses applied to the lead body during an implantation or leadrepositioning procedure. Movements by the patient can cause the routetraversed by the lead body to be constricted or otherwise alteredcausing stresses on the lead body. At times, the lead bodies can beslightly damaged because of improper handling, and the slight damage canprogress in the body environment resulting in a fracture to the leadconductor and/or a breach of the insulation. The effects of lead bodydegradation can progress from an intermittent manifestation to a morecontinuous effect and this may occur gradually over time orinstantaneously. In extreme cases, insulation of one or more of theelectrical conductors can be breached, causing the conductors to contactone another or body fluids resulting in a low impedance or shortcircuit. In other cases, a lead conductor can fracture and exhibit anintermittent or continuous/static open circuit resulting in intermittentor continuous high impedance as well as noise.

These and other such lead issues affecting the conductive pathway, whichis comprised of one or both the conductor and insulation, and resultingin partial or complete short or open circuits, for example, can bereferred to, for simplicity, as “lead-related conditions.” In otherwords, the lead-related condition may relate to a lead hardwaredegradation that has crossed a material or behavioral threshold thatincreases the probability of undesirable functionality leading to anadverse system event. Undesirable functionality may be hardware,firmware, or system functionality that leads to inappropriate decisions.

In the case of cardiac leads, the ability to sense cardiac activityconditions accurately through a lead can be impaired by theselead-related conditions. Complete lead breakage impedes any sensingfunctions while lead conductor fractures or intermittent contact candemonstrate electrical noise that interferes with accurate sensing.During cardiac pacing or defibrillation therapy, lead-related conditionscan reduce the effectiveness of a pacing or defibrillation therapy belowthat sufficient to pace or defibrillate the heart. The lead-relatedconditions may also contribute to systemic decisions that may lead toinappropriate therapy delivery unless the conditions are recognized andmanaged.

With the above brief overview in mind, the inventors of the presentdisclosure have recognized that conventional scheduled detection andmeasurement techniques may fail to recognize the lead-related conditionimmediately or on a scheduled basis. Conventional techniques may alsofail to recognize leading indicators that would provide an opportunityto support continued sensing and therapy delivery operations andprinciples of fault tolerant system designs. As such, methods anddevices of the present disclosure are directed to promoting earlydetection of these lead-related conditions and dynamically adapting thelead for continued functionality in the presence of the lead-relatedcondition.

FIG. 5 illustrates a section view of a lead body 80 according to anembodiment of the disclosure. The lead body 80 may correspond to any ofthe aforementioned leads 18, 20, and 22. The depicted view shows thelead body 80 having a plurality of lumens 82A, 82B, and 82C(collectively “82”) with each lumen having a plurality of insulatedconductors 84A, 84B, and 84C (collectively “84”). The insulation aroundeach given conductors 84 isolates the given conductor from otherconductors in the same lumen. In one embodiment, two or more of theinsulated conductors 84 in each lumen 82 may be coupled to a singleelectrode. As an illustration, the three insulated conductors in lumen82A may each be coupled to electrode 62 in lead 18, for example. Inanother embodiment, one of the three insulated conductors 84 in each oflumens 82A, 82B, and 82C may be coupled to the same electrode. Again, toillustrate, one insulated conductor 84 in each of the lumens 82A, 82Band 82C may be coupled to electrode 62 of lead 18, for example. Forconstruction of the insulated conductors, different insulation andconductive materials may be used for each set of insulated conductorsthat is coupled to a single electrode. Utilizing different materialswill enable optimization of lead body 80 for different longevity goals,different sensing goals, and different pacing goals.

For example, the materials may be selected such that insulated conductor84A functions as the initial primary sense path and is optimized forsensing and longevity. Insulated conductor 84B may be optimized toenable sub-optimal pacing while promoting an increased longevity inrelation to the insulated conductor 84A. As such, insulated conductor84B supports graceful degradation in the event of a lead-relatedcondition. Even further, insulated conductor 84C may provide a thirdelectrical pathway that also serves as a fault tolerance loop return forfuture lead test patterns.

Coupling multiple conductors to a single electrode provides redundancyin the event of a lead-related condition associated with one of theinsulated conductors 84 and enables dynamic reconfiguration of thesystem in response to a detected lead-related condition. The system mayidentify one of the insulated conductors that is coupled to each givenelectrode as the primary conductor and thereby establish a primaryelectrical pathway via the given conductor. The primary conductor may bethe initial conductor that is chosen during implant of the system andthe sensing or therapy delivery functions of the system may be optimizedfor the selected conductor. The other(s) of the insulated conductors mayfunction as redundant pathways. As such, upon detecting a lead-relatedcondition associated with the chosen conductor, the present disclosurefacilitates determination of a suitable alternative conductor from theredundant insulated conductors to enable dynamic reconfiguration of theelectrical pathway for sustained sensing and therapy delivery functions.

By coupling multiple insulated conductors in the same or differentlumens to a single electrode, a more robust system that providesincreased longevity can be attained. This is because the variousphysical stresses acting on the lead will impact each set of insulatedconductors in the different lumens differently.

FIGS. 6-11 describe aspects permitting the dynamic reconfiguration ofmultiple conductors in a lead in accordance with the embodiments of thedisclosure.

Turning first to FIG. 6, a block diagram is shown illustrating infurther detail a medical sub-system 100 in accordance with thedisclosure. Medical sub-system 100 comprises a lead such as lead 18,containment modules 104 and a sense path arbiter 106.

Consistent with the exemplary lead body 80, lead 18 comprises two ormore conductors 84. Each of the conductors 84 is coupled to a respectiveone of the containment modules 104. The conductors 84 comprise anelectrically conductive material and define a primary electrical pathwayand a secondary electrical pathway. In embodiments in which lead 18includes more than two conductors coupled to each electrode, theadditional conductors may define alternate or secondary electricalpathways. The designation of the primary electrical pathway andsecondary electrical pathway(s) is merely intended to indicate that inthe absence of a lead-related condition, one of the conductors isdesignated as the default electrical pathway. The secondary conductorsmay provide an alternate pathway in response to detection of alead-related condition. Thus, in the embodiment, lead 18 furthercomprises an electrode such as electrode 62 that is coupled at thedistal end as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The containment module 104 is coupled in series to the conductor 84 suchas by connecting a first terminal of the containment module 104 to theelectrode 62 and a second terminal to a distal end of conductor 84.Alternatively, containment module 104 may be disposed along the lengthof conductor 84 either serially or in parallel. The containment module104 may be biased in such a way that physiological signals arepropagated from the distal end to the proximal end of the conductorwithout any signal loss. The containment module 104 may also be biasedto inhibit propagation of signals from the proximal end of one conductorto the distal end of the conductor and/or the electrode or sensingelement at the distal end. In one embodiment, the containment module 104may be implemented as a filter that contains (or prevents propagationof) a first signal transmitted from electrode 62 while permitting asecond signal to propagate through to the proximal end of conductor 84.As an example, the containment will prevent propagation of noise signalswhile permitting depolarization signals to be propagated through to theproximal lead end. In another embodiment, containment module 104 may beimplemented as a diode that will permit electrical signal propagation inonly one direction. As such, the containment module 104 will preventinterference arising from signals propagated through a conductor on lead18 exhibiting a lead-related condition. That is to say, thefunctionality of the containment module 104 prevents interference on thesense path, defined by a primary conductor, when dynamic reconfigurationhas been performed due to a lead-related condition associated withanother of the conductors in lead 18.

Sense path arbiter 106 may be disposed at a proximal end of lead 18 andcoupled to conductor 84. In other words, sense path arbiter 106 may beintegrated within lead 18. In another embodiment, sense path arbiter 106is coupled to the proximal end of lead 18. The sense path arbiter 106will function to monitor electrical signals propagated throughconductors 84. Signal processing of the received signals may beperformed to detect a discontinuity that may indicate the presence of alead-related condition. The discontinuity may be a transientdiscontinuity or a static discontinuity, either of which will provide anindication of the level of degradation of the lead 18.

The sense path arbiter 106 may employ recognition criteria thatfacilitate real-time or instantaneous recognition of a lead-relatedcondition. Such criteria may be utilized to monitor the conductors 84 todetect the occurrence of the lead-related condition. As an example, thecriteria employed may include duration and frequency of a signalpropagated through lead 18. In the event that the integrity of one ofconductors 84 is compromised, the pattern (as manifested in thecriteria) of electrical signals transmitted through that conductor isdistinguishable from the pattern of electrical signals transmittedthrough an intact conductor. The criteria may be continuously updatedbased on processing results of a received signal to create a feedbackloop that enables self-tuning or learning of algorithms used fordetecting the lead-related condition.

The sense path arbiter 106 monitors the conductors 84 to detect andreceive transients, analyze the received transients, and determinewhether a lead-related condition is present based on the results of theanalysis. In response to detecting a lead-related condition on theprimary conductor, sense path arbiter 106 reconfigures the conductorsassociated with the electrode for transmission of signals from theelectrode to an IMD coupled to the lead 18. The reconfiguration involvesdetermining which of the secondary conductors will provide optimalperformance to sustain sensing and/or therapy delivery functions of thelead or provide graceful degradation. The sense signal for the secondaryconductor selected as optimal will then be configured electrically asthe input signal to the sense circuits.

The transients may be classified in a variety of patterns, with eachpattern indicating a specific lead-related condition, or a level ofdegradation of the conductor, or both. For example, two transientpatterns may be defined: class A and class B. The class A transientpattern may be defined as one corresponding to a lead-related conditionassociated with an intermittent conductive path discontinuity. Thepattern is one of discontinuities. The class B transient may be definedas one corresponding to a static or permanent conductive pathdiscontinuity. For example, the class A transient pattern may be anon-physiological signal or signal discontinuity having a duration ofabout a hundred (100) nano-seconds to one (1) second and the class Btransient may be a non-physiological signal or signal discontinuityhaving a duration greater than one (1) second. As such, detection of asignal having a duration between 100 nano-seconds to one second mayresult in the conductor being classified as exhibiting a class Alead-related condition while sensing of a signal having a durationgreater than one second may result in that conductor being classified asexhibiting a class B lead-related condition. Class B patterns are oftenstatic, solid opens in a conductor.

The sense path arbiter 106 may employ a recognition window havingadjustable time periods for monitoring electrical signals propagatedthrough one of conductors 84. The recognition window may further bedefined in terms of frequency or amplitude or any other desiredelectrical characteristic. In conjunction with the recognition window,the above-referenced recognition criteria may be used for analysis ofthe monitored signals. In one example, the analysis may comprisedetermining whether the received signals correspond to a predeterminedpattern, such as one of class A or class B transient patterns. Inresponse to detecting a class A pattern, the processing module 106 maybe dynamically reconfigured to further characterize the nature of thelead-related condition. The reconfiguration may include expanding thelength of the reconfiguration window or adjusting the interval betweenrecognition windows to, for example, increase the frequency of thesignal sampling. On the other hand, detection of a class B transientpattern may trigger a blanking response intended to prevent further useof the given conductor. In other words, the class B pattern may beassociated with a lead-related condition that frustrates sensing ortherapy delivery thereby rendering the conductor unsuitable forcontinued use. As such, by detecting and characterizing the nature ofthe lead-related condition, an accurate and meaningful tracking overtime of the progression of a lead-related condition can be made.

In evaluating the multiple conductors 84, sense path arbiter 106 mayperform the analysis of signals transmitted through the primary andsecondary pathways simultaneously or sequentially for each conductor 84.The best path may be determined through comparison of the resultsobtained from the analysis. Those analysis results obtained by the sensepath arbiter 106 are used in an arbitration scheme that selects one ofthe conductors 84 as the primary electrical pathway. The selectedconductor 84 is used for transmission of sensed physiological signals tothe IMD.

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram showing an alternative embodiment ofthe medical subs-system 1006. In the alternative embodiment, the sensepath arbiter 106 includes a principal arbiter circuit 108A and anassociate arbiter circuit 1086. The principal and associate arbitercircuits 108A and 1086 will monitor the primary and secondary conductors84, respectively, to detect transients, analyze the received transients,and determine whether a lead-related condition is present based on theresults of the analysis. Further, the principal and associate arbitercircuits 108A and 108B will collaborate to arbitrate between the primaryand secondary conductors 84 to select one of the conductors fortransmission of signals from the electrode to an IMD coupled to the lead18. Hence, in the response to detecting a lead-related condition, thesense path arbiter 106 will arbitrate between the conductors 84 todetermine which of the conductors 84 is most suitable for transmissionof sensed signals to the IMD while mitigating the impact of thelead-related condition, for example.

FIG. 8 illustrates in more detail an embodiment of a sense path arbiter106. The sense path arbiter 106, which may correspond to that of themedical sub-system 100 of FIG. 6 will generally receive a signaltransmitted through conductors 84. As can be expected because of thecoupling of multiple conductors 84 to one electrode or sensing element,the same signal may be propagated through each set of conductors 84coupled to a common electrode or sensing element. In other embodiments,a single signal may be broken down into multiple signal packets, withthe packets being distributed among the plurality of conductors withre-assembly of the signal being performed by the sense path arbiter 106upon receipt. In either embodiment, the sense path arbiter 106 monitorsthe pathway defined by the plurality of conductors and this monitoringmay be performed continuously and/or in real-time. As such, thedisclosure facilitates immediate recognition of a lead-related conditionthat enables dynamic reconfiguration of the medical systemfunctionalities for sustained sensing and therapy delivery.

In particular, the sense path arbiter 106 will receive signalspropagated through the conductors 84 and analyze the signals to diagnosethe presence of a lead-related condition. In so doing, one of theconductors 84 is selected as a function of the determination that it isthe optimal electrical pathway for transmission of the signals.

Sense path arbiter 106 comprises a transient recognition element 110 andan arbitration element 112 that are coupled to the conductors 84. Thetransient recognition element 110 monitors for and receives electricalsignals propagated through the conductors and analyzes the signals todetect leading indicators of a lead-related condition that may manifestas transients. The transient recognition element 110 will also identifythe one of the plurality of conductors 84 from which the leadingindicators originated.

The analysis performed by the transient recognition element 110 includespattern analysis of a received signal to, for example, detect adeviation of the signal from a normal signal. A normal signal may bedefined as one emanating from a sensed physiological event as opposed toa signal that may emanate from noise or other external influence as aresult of a lead-related condition affecting the conductor. In otheranalytical operations, a template may be utilized that provides thereference “normal” signals and that template may be updated based onfeedback pertaining to the accuracy of the initial template with regardsto actual existence of a lead-related condition based on external dataand/or confirmation via known lead integrity tests.

The arbitration element 112 performs an arbitration function—i.e.,selection of one of the conductors 84 for coupling to the IMD sensecircuitry. Arbitration is based on results of the analysis performed bythe transient recognition element 110 indicating whether the primaryconductor is exhibiting a lead-related condition. Based on the results,a given conductor 84 is selected as providing the most optimalelectrical pathway in relation to the other conductors commonly-coupledto the electrode or sensing element. Through the arbitration process,the given conductor will be coupled to the IMD sense circuitry fortransmission of signals from the electrode or sensing element.

FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a sense path arbiter106B. Similar to SPA 106, signals are sensed and propagated from theelectrode or sensing element through the conductor and to the IMD sensecircuitry that resides in the IMD. The components that are similar tothose in FIG. 8 have been identified with identical referencedesignators and will not be discussed with respect to FIG. 9 forconvenience. In the embodiment of FIG. 9, sense path arbiter 1066includes a set of transient recognition element 110 and arbitrationelement 112 for each individual conductor 84. The functionality of thetransient recognition element 110 and arbitration element 112 in FIG. 9is similar to that described with respect to FIG. 8. An advantage ofincluding the transient recognition element 110 and arbitration element112 as a set for each conductor 84 is that simultaneous analysis of thesignals on the multiple conductors can be performed. This, of course,comes with the downside of increased overall real estate demand on thelead and thus these competing requirements must be balanced. Elements110 and 112 may reside in the IMD in another embodiment however and notin the lead body itself.

The multiple sets of transient recognition element 110 and arbitrationelement 112 may function in a principal-associate relationship. Thus,one of the sets of transient recognition element 110 and arbitrationelement 112 may function as the principal and the other sets will derivecontrol from the principal. The associates will provide acknowledgementof received control commands to the principal upon receipt of suchcommands. That is to say, the principal will direct theconfiguration/reconfiguration of the primary conductive pathway whendetermining which of the signals on the plurality of conductors is to betransmitted to the IMD. On the other hand, the associate only conductsthe evaluation of the signals on the conductor 84 independently whileperforming all other configuration functions and data transmission atthe request of the principal. As such, the principal can be viewed asthe dominant element. For purposes of identification, each set of thetransient recognition element 110 and arbitration element 112 will havean ID input line that denotes it as either the primary or associate. TheID input may be hardwired in one embodiment or connected to the IMDprocessing circuits in another embodiment to allow the IMD processor todetermine the arbitration functionality.

The principle arbiter may request the secondary arbitor to provide astatus of the conductor evaluated by the secondary recognition element.The secondary, in this case, will respond to the primary with secondaryconductor status to assist the primary in decision making. The primarywill then possess functional information about both the primary and thesecondary conductive paths. The primary will either select the optimalconductive path as input to the sense circuits. The primary will directthe associate arbiter to configure its secondary path as input to thesense circuits if it concludes the secondary path is optimal compared tothe primary path based on evaluation for both primary and secondarypaths. The primary arbiter will disconnect the primary path and theassociate arbiter will connect the secondary path as input to the sensecircuit. The primary arbiter performs the sense path arbitration.

The multiple sets of transient recognition element 110 and arbitrationelement 112 may each be contained in separate (sense path arbiter 106)modules or they can all be included in a single module. Each of the setsof transient recognition element 110 and arbitration element 112 willcommunicate with each other to determine which conductor provides theoptimal path for transmission of the sensed signals to the IMD sensecircuit. The multiple sets of transient recognition element 110 andarbitration element 112 are coupled via bidirectional pathways to enablecommunication among each other of the results of processing and tofacilitate reconfiguration in the event that the designation of theprimary conductor needs to be changed.

The principal and associates will collectively transmit the signalpropagated through their respective conductors to an output buffer 118or will tri-state their outputs contingent on which sense path istransmitted. Each set of the transient recognition element 110 andarbitration element 112 will have a separate enable/disable input pathto activate arbitration and reconfiguration functions.

FIG. 10 depicts a block diagram showing one embodiment of the sense patharbiter 106. The sense path arbiter 106 arbitrates the electricalpathways defined by the plurality of conductors 84 and determines whichof the conductors will function as the primary electrical pathway withthe rest of the conductors being designated as secondary pathways. Thesense path arbiter 106 will couple the primary conductor to the IMDsense circuits and may also output the results of the analyticalprocessing to the IMD. As described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, thesense path arbiter 106 includes transient recognition element 110 andarbitration element 112. The transient recognition element 110 managesthe analysis of transmitted electrical signals on the plurality ofconductors 84 for transient detection.

In one implementation, the transient recognition element 110 may includea limiter 124 that is coupled to a given one of the plurality ofconductors 84. The given conductor 84 is also coupled to an arbitrationelement 112. The limiter 124 functions to monitor the given conductor 84for an electrical signal. The limiter 124 isolates the sense signal frommonitoring and recognition circuits while at the same time limitingcurrent flow into the sense path. The limiter 124 may be a resistivecomponent or may be an A/D converter digitizing the signal for furtherprocessing. Current regulator 122 manages the current and the uppervoltage for node A in the event of a transient. Node A will always be arepresentation of a particular characteristic of the sensed signal andprovides inputs to both recognition elements 126 and 128. Recognitionelements 126 and 128 evaluate upper and lower limits for a particularcharacteristic of the sensed signal. A second of the terminals onrecognition elements 126 and 128 is coupled to dynamic syncopated source130 and 132, respectively. The dynamic syncopated sources 130 and 132generate a reference signal under the direction of the arbitrationelement 112 and may comprise a voltage, current, or frequency reference.The reference signal may be a static input or a programmablevariable-input reference signal and it establishes the sensitivity andthreshold level to which received signals on conductor 84 are compared.The dynamic syncopated sources 130 and 132 will also output controlsettings for the current regulator 122 to manage power usage. That powermay be provided from the IMD or from a power source 120.

The recognition elements 126 and 128 perform a processing function todetect a deviation of the received electrical signal from a threshold,which would indicate the presence of a lead-related condition. Therecognition elements 126 and 128 will perform transient recognition bysensing a voltage deviation at node A between recognition elements 126and 128. Recognition elements 126 and 128 may constitute a model that issensitive to transient discontinuities in a lead conductive path andrespond to the transient discontinuity with a voltage shift at node Awhile using negligible energy. In one example, recognition elements 126and 128 may be voltage comparators, with each set to perform analysis ofamplitude deviation of the received signal within a first and secondrange, respectively. The voltage at node A will be evaluated byrecognition elements 126 and 128 and a result of the processing willindicate deviations from acceptable model parameters through statechanges on the outputs of recognition elements 126 and 128. In theelementary example of the comparator, the recognition elements 126 and128 will produce one of two outputs depending on whether the thresholdreference signal is crossed. The threshold against which the monitoredsignal is compared may be established by the dynamic syncopated source130 and 132 with the parameters being provided by the arbitrationelement 112. As such, a complete loop is established for the transientrecognition element 110 that enables identification of early indicatorsof lead-related conditions and arbitration between multiple conductorsto identify the optimum electrical pathway for dynamic reconfigurationof the conductive pathway. As such, leading indicators of a lead-relatedcondition that may manifest as static and/or intermittent/dynamicconductive discontinuities can be detected to permit reconfiguration ofthe lead functionality.

It is also contemplated that one or more of the aforementioned referencesignals may be provided to facilitate further characterization of thenature and type of lead-related condition being monitored. By way of anexample that is not intended to be limiting, a first reference signalmay be provided to evaluate the occurrence of a lead-related conditionassociated with a conductive discontinuity and a second reference signalmay be provided for evaluations of the occurrence of a lead-relatedcondition associated with an insulation breach. Other reference signalsmay be established to evaluate different types of lead-relatedconditions and their origins.

Moreover, while the recognition elements have been described in thecontext of an amplitude-related recognition criterion, other propertiesmay be monitored to identify a lead-related condition. Examples of theelectrical properties that may be monitored include frequency-basedtransient characteristics, voltage across or current flowing throughconductor 84 or some other characteristic derived from measuredparameters such as an impedance of the conductor 84.

Another function of the limiter 124 may be to provide a stabilizingsignal in the event that a lead-related condition is identified on theconductor 84. The limiter 124 may function to stabilize the sense pathto preclude inappropriate logic and algorithmic decision making if thesense path is oscillating or noisy or exhibiting anothernon-physiological signal which could be disruptive. In that function,limiter 124 ties the conductor 84 to a defined threshold level tothereby prevent transmission and propagation of otherwise random signalswhich may arise due to a lead-related condition associated with theconductor, for example. Non-physiological oscillations are therebyinhibited and the signal path is stabilized. Otherwise, in the absenceof a lead-related condition, the limiter 124 will not tie the conductor84 to the threshold level to avoid any disruptive influences to thephysiological signal on the conductor 84. In other words, thestabilizing limiter 124 will permit the physiological signal to betransmitted through the conductor 84 but otherwise provide a threshold(static) signal when the conductive pathway is not intact.

The arbitration element 112 receives the results of the analysisperformed by recognition elements 126 and 128. Those results indicatewhether the signal propagated through a given conductor is normal or isindicative of a lead-related condition as exhibited by a conductivepathway with erratic and indeterminate electrical behavior. The rangefor the characteristic properties of a normal electrical signal will beestablished by the dynamic syncopated source 130 and 132. Based on theprocessing results for each conductor 84, the arbitration element 112selects one of the conductors 84 for coupling to the IMD sense circuitryand the selected conductor is designated as the primary conductor.Arbitration element 112 may also transmit the processing results of theanalysis performed for each conductor 84 to the IMD for storage andadditional processing such as trend analysis.

Sense path arbiter 106 may also include a frequency analyzer 130 forevaluating the frequency of the received signal. As such, the signalpropagated through the conductor 84 will be evaluated to assess thefrequency characteristics of the signal. The frequency analyzer 134 mayprovide an output of the frequency analysis, which includes suchcharacteristics as an indication of whether the frequency of the signalfalls within a given range, an amplitude of the signal, or duration ofthe signal, to the arbitration element 112. The characteristics of thesignal as obtained through the frequency analysis may further aid indistinguishing between several lead-related conditions.

Arbitration element 112 determines whether to immediately accept thecurrent sense signal on the primary path, whether to reconfigure, orwhether to collect more information based on recent past information.Arbitration element 112 may instruct syncopated source 132 to change thewindow and other recognition criteria to gather data in a differentrange in time or other electrical criteria with different boundaries forthe information. Arbitration element 112 may refine the criteria andcontinuously calibrate ranges until it is satisfied and ready todetermine a final conclusion for reconfiguration.

FIG. 11 illustrates a flow diagram of an illustrative method for dynamicreconfiguration of lead functionality in response to detecting alead-related condition. The lead includes an electrode or sensingelement for sensing electrical activity via two or more conductors thatdefine a primary and secondary pathway and one of the sensed signals istransmitted to the IMD sense circuits based on processing performed asdescribed in the preceding embodiments.

The method includes monitoring a set of conductive pathways associatedwith a given electrode or sensing element of a lead [150]. Theconductive pathway may include a lead conductor and/or the insulationsurrounding the conductor. The monitoring may be performed in real-timeand/or continuously to enable the recognition of a lead-relatedcondition immediately and thereby permit dynamic reconfiguration of thepathways for sustained sensing and/or therapy delivery functions. Themethod further involves determining whether a transient or other signalindicative of a lead-related condition [152] is present on the monitoredpathways. Such an electrical signal may be one that deviates from areference signal where the reference signal may be dynamicallyadjustable to provide a customizable reference signal for eachindividual patient. The dynamic adjustment of the reference signal willpermit increased sensitivity of detection of a lead-related condition.In other words, the electrical signals indicative of a lead-relatedcondition may be those that breach static upper and lower parametriclimits or breach dynamic parametric limits where those limits areadjusted by the dynamic syncopated source 130 and 132 described above,for example.

The signals determined as having deviated from the parametric limits areprocessed to further obtain characteristic information such as theattributes for each individual transient including frequency ofoccurrence, duration, periods between individual transients, and burstfrequencies [154]. As such, it can be determined whether thelead-related condition indicates one of a proximal end discontinuity,intermittent transient behavior having trains of discontinuity invarious sequences and durations, or a static discontinuity whereby noconduction occurs along the path from the distal end to the proximalend.

Further, it is determined whether criteria for pattern analysis of thetransient are met [156]. The criteria may include threshold crossings ofone or more of the attributes obtained for each individual transientincluding frequency of occurrence, duration, periods between individualtransients, and burst frequencies. If the criteria are not met, thetransient data are stored and monitoring of the conductive pathwayscontinues [158]. If the criteria are met, pattern analysis which mayinvolve comparing the transient data to historical transient data isperformed [160]. The pattern analysis may indicate a level of severityof the lead-related condition, or trends in the progression of thelead-related condition. Results of the analysis may be utilized inmaking adjustments to the reference signal such as through adjustmentsto the operating parameters for the dynamic syncopated sources 130 and132. As such, the method involves performing a determination of whetherthe analysis indicates a worsening trend in the lead-related condition[162]. If so, adjustments are made to the recognition criteria forincreased specificity and sensitivity to the detection method [164]. Forexample, the changes may include updating the reference signal, updatingthe recognition window or changing the detection scheme to focus onparticular transient patterns. Specific changes to the window mayinclude changes to the amplitude range and frequency range parameterssuch as 50,000 Hz to 100,000 Hz change and 0.1 mV to 100 mV change.

Next, the results of the analysis are evaluated to determine whether thearbitration criteria are met [166]. The evaluation involves determiningthe most optimal of the monitored electrical pathways (primary orsecondary) as a function of any lead-related condition that may bepresent. If not met, the primary conductive pathway is determined to bethe most optimal, and the lead monitoring proceeds with no configurationchanges. Otherwise, if met, the conductor exhibiting a lead-relatedcondition is isolated to prevent further use of the conductor forsensing and/or therapy delivery until an intervention is performed[168]. If the affected conductor is also the primary conductor,reconfiguration is performed to couple the electrode and/or sensingelement to the most optimal electrical pathway. The reconfiguration maybe performed as described above in the context of the sense patharbiter. An acknowledgment of the reconfiguration may be provided to theIMD and/or the principal arbiter (for embodiments having theprincipal-associate arbiters) [170]. The acknowledgment indicates thatthe arbitration and reconfiguration have successfully been performed. Onreceipt of the acknowledgement (YES in block 172), the arbitration datais logged and stored [174]. Otherwise, non-receipt of the acknowledgmentwill result in generation of an interrupt to the IMD for manualintervention [176].

While various exemplary lead assessment and lead-related conditiondetection techniques have been described, herein, in conjunction withlead 18—it should be understood that the disclosure is applicable to amulti-lead system including, for example, those depicted in FIGS. 1-4having leads 20 and 22.

Functionality associated with one or more modules or units to supportthe various operations and functions described in this disclosure may beperformed by separate hardware, software or firmware components, orintegrated within common or separate hardware or software components inone or more devices. In addition, any of the described units,applications, modules or components may be implemented together orseparately as discrete but interoperable logic devices. As such, thevarious functions of each module may in practice be combined,distributed or otherwise differently-organized in any fashion across theimplantable systems of FIGS. 1-4. Thus, depiction of different featuresas modules or units is intended to highlight different functionalaspects and does not necessarily imply that such modules or units mustbe realized by separate hardware or software components.

The techniques described in this disclosure, including those attributedto the implantable leads, IMD 16, programmer 24, or various constituentcomponents, may be implemented, at least in part, in hardware, software,firmware or any combination thereof. For example, various aspects of thetechniques may be implemented within one or more processors, includingone or more microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs),application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmablegate arrays (FPGAs), or any other equivalent integrated, analog, ordiscrete logic circuitry, as well as any combinations of suchcomponents, embodied in programmers, such as physician or patientprogrammers, stimulators, image processing devices or other devices. Theterm “processor” or “processing circuitry” may generally refer to any ofthe foregoing logic circuitry, alone or in combination with other logiccircuitry, or any other equivalent circuitry.

When implemented in software, the functionality ascribed to the systems,devices and techniques described in this disclosure may be embodied asinstructions on a computer-readable medium such as random access memory(RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory(NVRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM),FLASH memory, magnetic data storage media, optical data storage media,or the like. The instructions may be executed to support one or moreaspects of the functionality described in this disclosure.

Further, it should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments areonly examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability,or configuration of the disclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoingdetailed description will provide those skilled in the art with aconvenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiments. Itshould also be understood that various changes can be made in thefunction and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope ofthe disclosure as set forth in the appended claims and the legalequivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A medical electrical lead system, comprising: anelectrode; a plurality of conductors coupled to the electrode, whereineach of the plurality of conductors includes a conductive pathway; asense path arbiter coupled to the plurality of conductors, wherein thesense path arbiter evaluates each of the plurality of conductivepathways and in response to the evaluation selects one of the pluralityof conductors for transmission of a signal sensed by the electrode; anda plurality of containment modules each coupled along a length of arespective one of the plurality of conductors between the electrode andthe sense path arbiter.
 2. The medical electrical lead system of claim1, wherein each of the plurality of containment modules is coupled in aseries configuration along the length of the plurality of conductors. 3.The medical electrical lead system of claim 1, wherein the evaluation ofthe conductive pathway comprises analyzing a signal propagated thoughthe respective conductor to detect a transient.
 4. The medicalelectrical lead system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the pluralityof containment modules are configured to permit the electrical signalpropagation in a first direction only.
 5. An implantable medical system,comprising: a sensing element; a sense circuitry; and a medicalelectrical lead coupled at a distal end to the sensing element, the leadhaving: a first and second containment module, wherein each of the firstand second containment modules is coupled to the sensing element; aplurality of conductors coupled to the sensing element and to each ofthe first and second containment module, wherein each of the pluralityof conductors includes a conductive pathway; a sense path arbitercoupled to the plurality of conductors, wherein the sense path arbiterevaluates the conductive pathways and in response to the evaluationcouples a proximal end of one of the plurality of conductors to thesense circuitry for propagation of an electrical signal from theelectrode.
 6. The implantable medical system of claim 5, wherein thesense path arbiter is configured to monitor an electrical property ofthe plurality of conductors.
 7. The implantable medical system of claim5, wherein the sensing element is an electrode.
 8. The implantablemedical system of claim 5, wherein the sensing element is selected fromthe group consisting of a pressure sensor, and an oxygen sensor.
 9. Theimplantable medical system of claim 5, wherein the sense path arbiter isconfigured to detect transient characteristics of a signal on theplurality of conductors.